Shelter for vehicles and other purposes



April 10, 1956 P. GlPsLls SHELTER F'OR VEHICLES AND OTHER PURPOSES 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. l. 1952 l I I I l I I l I l *I I I mveNToR PETER/S GIFSLIS ATTORNEYS April l0, 1956 P. GlPsLls 2,740,997

SHELTER FOR VEHICLES AND OTHER PURPOSES Filed Nov. l. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvEuToR PETER/5 G/PSL/S ATIORN EVS United states Parent i 2,140,991 sHELrER Fon VEHICLES AND ornEnruRr-osns Peter G ipslis, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canad, assignor of one-half to` Erwin Heuchert, Vancouver, Brit-l ish Columbia, Canada Application November 1, 1952, SLerin1 No. 3.18.2717' 11 Claims. (Cl. 2054.13)

This invention relates to sheltersprimayrily iorlusegas l, ages for-vehicles, such as automobiles, bu'fwhieh' mayi ff., @for other purposes. A Anobject of the present invention isv the proyisigor,ot-i a.1 shelter or garage whichr may beA designed to'vv fitl o selyk gOllldan automobile when it is closed,` saitlshelter` or'` garage being movable to an open .positionto permit at?.A cess to,the. vehicle.

' Another object is the provision, of ashelterpivotally; mounted so that an end thereof may.beieasilytrraiseti.aridi lowered into open, and closed positions, o

furth'erobject is the provision offaishelter orA garage, qfjthe'type described which does notI requirsanyspringfs., balancing arms, andthe like. Ajfurtherobject isl the provisionof'afgarage,.vvhih'jst small in comparison to ordinaryl garages, which mail be; located in positions where it isV not,.possibleioz7 put-orlilarygarag s, which may be,` portable, and "whic may be adjustedto anyl convenient anglevrelative vtotheboundary linsQf, alot. l Alstillfurther object is the provisiomof ,agarag=e,v,vvhrtltlv inview ,of itsfcornpact nature, is much ehealfuel,sth*virgiliotV average garage 1in common use. t t

Upgtothepresent tirne,lgarages` for individual vehicles: hayefto, be, lconstructed large enough to per selrx'gersftoget'out from atleast one -sideof"Y o 'Ilieseggaragesare' permanent structures` which cos y); tosbtiltjl,` cannot be moved afterthey are construetedil iilhave -tocomply with local buildingregirlatcirxs,` tiratev is`,`f tl1heyA usually have to bea specified d istancefrom at least the lot Y side lines. l

' VThe f present invention overcomes *thesev ditiicultiesH by; prpvidngarshelter, or garage comprrisingdathousiwhich; is" openv at the bottom thereof. Thishousing n r4: ,ti 0.11@ the vground .0r any other base, such., asfa' .ruovalpley plat* form'.` This housing is provided withpivotin'g meansrad-V. jat; trtlie back end thereof whereby thehousingmaylbe; opened andclosed byY raising and lowering the, vfront endl ther'eoglatlwhih, time it swings around thepyot ansa Connterbalancing means is attachedto the houstnga located on the side of the pivot!meansUreniotefrornthef frontendof the housing This counterbalan'c'eiarranged; tolretain thehousing in the open position `and ytnpfeim tg ittobeeasily moved to the closed p,osition Whengthe hou ng'is inthe open position, avehicle may.- be 'drivfenV into or outofit and the driver may-,easily get int or out` otfgthe vehiclewhen the housingv is` openl71116,t ousingg maybe easily closed against the force of the `count balancing means to enclose the vehicles One ofte"thetbigv advantages ofthis idea lies inthe fact that theghousing; majbe constructedtso that the sides `and ltoptherelofA are,l positioned close to the vehicle'when the housing ,(isclosed., This zs" possible since the driven enters'` orlll'eaves the veli I ewhilleuthe housing is open. This meansthaLthe. housingcan be considerably smallerY for a given vehicle; thanany garage known prior to this ,inventim Y An example of this invention is illustrated, iuy the lac#v companying drawings, in which,

2,740,997 n `Patented. Apr. 10,` 1956 Figurel is. a sideelevation of .the shelter or garage in the cl'osedrositiqu, Figure 2.`is a plan. view of the. shelter partly in section, Rigore. 3..y is.. aA verticalsetionY taken` on the line 3&-3 qt-Figure 1,l 7 Figure 4` s a verticalsectiom taken on. the line 4-4 of Figure l,

Figureg 5` is. a. sideoelevation of `the shelter in .the open position, i Fgure is; an. elevatiorrof` the. back end `of'. the shelter. ,thej closed. positiom. showing Awheels. .by means. of'l which it, may beeasily transportedtfromyplace to place,-

Eigure 7` is a fronteleyationofJhe shelter inV the openrp'sitiomand. Y Y

Eigure. 8 is, afragmentary side elevation of. anA alternatiue f Q'rmof .theinventiom Referring to the drawing s 10.is. ahousingwhichpref erably` is completely, closed,w exceptinglrat. the bottom thereoi, which. isY open. asilrdicated; at.111. If. desired,- Suitable ventilation, .openings (not` shown). may; bey prorv'iied., Thish ousinghas` sidewalls 12, a front end 13` andabackendll; The=housingtmay rest on` the ground drk ass shown, it, may, be provid'e'dt with, aY suitable base1 lltay1'11-gi a rampC l9'extendingfup tothe front endo raisedvsuicientlg to permit.Y a. vehicle. to move T ng,adjacentthe back ,end1'4 'thereoftonpermit this1 action. t`o takeplce /a'rious..typesf.-V pivotinggmeans rriayl b je usedtjbut .the .one presently,Y preferredr comprises,l meshinggear nieans.onthevhousing."and4 on the base adiaentthe balseld"Oflsaid,housing,` The g'earmesh gear`r rnellzlitglgV means, includesn a ,rackf 24.*on. theI base 18 atv ach iside lokf'tlie housing at andeXltending beneath the. back end thfereof.` Tliseracks, extend-.longitudinally ofi'the housing. lf the base 18`is` omitted,v it is desirable!1 tonprovidev a ,suitable baseforthese racks. The back'l entlo` the4 housing,

inwardly at25,` Yancla ,gearVA segment 26 is mountedfon. this.

curved portiomof. thebaek end'at. eachside thereof,...

each; o f fsaid' segments being; located immediately above aracl 24` andf'adpted' toumeshtherewith;- Actually,. when thathousingisg.nzitsgclsedfposition, the forward' end "of feaeh gear Isegment is `in 4 mesh with corresponde;

infgwenlfgofia raclrghseeFigure 12 Sit'ablegm'eans is provided for p reventinglateral movement of th back' end of thehbusirg.'` This mayvb'e` accomplished bynsecuringy a--curved plate-27 to theihousingbeside eachgear segment;` each plate being on the same side of its segment as 'the' other-r- Foraexampleff tliese=l=plates be located on the-outer side'sfof ftheisegments; as=*shown.` The outer edges-.28 fof 'teachztplatetofflthesel fplates -Iextends outwardlynojarthertthanfthestps of therteeth oftthe'vadjacent gear segment;A EachY platetovcrlaps.ftherzouter: sidefof -the pore tion of the racle24 fmeshingwithgzits;gearsegment;

l With` .this.-,arrangement, theqteeth-.fofnthe gear segments 26 mesh,fwithzthe. teethsofs the fracks .24 when ,the front-Y enclot' thehousingisuaised aud.1owered;. This causes, thehousing .to shift .longitudinally during' the opening and closing operations,tbutthemeshing ,teeth ensure the house.

inghrreturning to .exactly thesamefposition each time it isfclosed.V Stop means is;pr ovided to limit the upward movement ,offthe front'endbf the garage; This maybe.

ir'theQfornr of stops or brackets 32"mounte'd fon land .pro-

jelcting` from thegbackend`14 of the housing. at'pointsr. spacedab'ove the base. 181' When the housing is moved h ollylsiivrgL idea, is'. tort-pivotally. mount., the.

in means. may, comprise oneor more. gear:V segments., meshinglwithfone or tnoreracks;r Inthissexample, the.

preferably, curves' downwardlyv and,

into the open position, as clearly shown in Figure 5, the stops 32 engage the base to limit the opening of the housing.

Counterbalancing means is attached to the housing and located on the side of the pivot means thereof remote from its front end. In the preferred form of the invention, this means consists of a counterweight 35 which may be secured to the back end 14 of the housing in any convenient manner, such as by nuts and bolts 36. When the housing is closed, the pivot point thereof is located at the front ends of the racks 24, and the counterweight 35 is positioned above and to the rear of this point. When the front end of the housing is started towards the open position, the counterweight exerts its maximum force. However, as the housing continues to open, the pivot point thereof shifts towards the back ends of the racks, thus reducing the effective force of the counterbalance. By the time the housing reaches the open position, it is practically in balance, the stops 32 being provided merely as a precautionary measure to prevent the housing from opening too much.

It is not absolutely necessary to provide means for locking the housing in the open position. However, if such is desired, an arm may be pivotally mounted at 41 on a side wall 12 of the housing near the bottom thereof and near the gear segment 26. The free end of this arm rests on the base 18 when the housing is closed, but when the latter is opened, said end engages a notch 41 in the base, see Figure 5. In order to close the housing, it is necessary to lift the end of the arm clear of this notch.

A comparatively long handle 44 may be provided along one of the side walls 12, preferably on the same side of the housing as the arm 40. This handle may slopev upwardly towards the front end of the housing so that when it is desired to close the latter, one end of the handle may easily be grasped. The person closing the housing, can walk towards the front end thereof as he draws it downwardly. The weight of the housing makes it easy to start the downward movement and keep it going. As the housing approaches the closed position, the counterweight 3S is raised up, and the pivot point of the housing shifts forwardly. The housing and its counterweight are approximately balanced when the former is in the closed position. The housing may slightly overbalance the weight at this time in order to remain in the closed position.

Suitable latching means may be provided for retaining the housing in the closed position. Referring particularly to Figures 2 and 4, the base 18 may be provided with a recess 48 therein having a keeper plate 49 over part thereof, leaving an opening 50 into the recess. A relatively long latch 52 is pivotally mounted by means of a handle 53 which extends through the front 13 of the casing. This latch has a lug 55 at its lower end which ts beneath the keeper plate 49 when the housing is closed with the latch projecting through the opening 50 into the recess 48. A spring 56 resiliently retains the latch in the locked position.

When it is desired to open the housing, the handle 53 may be turned to move the latch 52 until its lug 55 clears the keeper plate, after which the housing may be raised. When the housing is returned to its closed position, the lower end of the latch moves into the recess 48 until the lug 55 is pressed beneath the keeper plate.

Suitable means may be provided to prevent the front end of the housing from shifting laterally when it is closed. For this purpose, pins 58 may project downwardly from the lower edges of the sides 12 adjacent the front end thereof into sockets 59 in the base 18.

If desired, a stop 62 may be provided on the base spaced inwardly from the back end of the housing to limit the movement of a vehicle towards said end. In addition to this, guides 64 may extend longitudinally of the base which will ensure a vehicle backed or driven on to the base being in the proper position laterally with respect to the housing.

When a vehicle is positioned on the base, the housing may be drawn downwardly over it. As the driver may get into or out of the vehicle when the housing is open, it is not necessary to provide much clearance between the vehicle and the casing walls and top. This is a big advantage of the invention since there is no waste of material in the shelter.

The housing may be made of any desired material, such as aluminum. This means that it will not be very heavy so that the entire shelter may be easily shifted from one place to another. If desired, bracket 66 may be provided at the back end of the base having notches 67 therein through which an axle 63 may extend, see Figures l and 6. This axle has wheels 69 on its outer ends. These wheels make it possible to lift the front end of the base so that the shelter may easily move.

Figure 8 illustrates an alternative form of the invention. In this case, the base 18 is provided with an area near the back end thereof which slopes downwardly towards said end. The racks 24 are mounted on this sloping area. This sloping of the racks makes it possible to use a lighter counterweight than is necessary in the other form of the invention.

When the front end of the housing 10 is raised, the gear segments 26 move down the sloping racks. This downward movement helps to raise the front end. When the front end is moved towards the closed position, it is necessary to exert enough force to move the gear segments back up the racks. As the front end is a considerable distance from the pivot point of the housing, the leverage makes it easy for a person to close the hous- What I claim as my invention is:

1. A shelter for vehicles and other purposes comprising an open-bottomed housing having a back end curving downwardly and inwardly at the bottom thereof, a gear segment mounted on and extending around the curving portion of the back end and extending longitudinally of the housing, a rack iixedly supported beneath and meshing with the gear segment, said housing being opened and closed by raising and lowering the front end thereof, the forward end of the segment being positioned adjacent the corresponding end of the rack when the housing is closed and moving towards the opposite end of said rack as the housing is opened, and counterbalancing means attached to the back end of the housing above the curve thereof on the side of the segment remote from the front end of the housing, said counterbalance retaining the housing in the open position and permitting it to be easily moved to the closed position.

2. A shelter for vehicles and other purposes comprising -a base, an open-bottomed housing resting on the base, said housing having a back end curving downwardly and inwardly at the bottom thereof, a gear segment mounted on and extending around the curving portion of the back end and extending longitudinally of the housing, a rack iixedly mounted on the base beneath and meshing with the gear segment, said housing being opened and closed by raising and lowering the front end thereof, the forward end of the segment being positioned adjacent the corresponding end of the rack when the housing is closed and moving towards the opposite end of said rack as the housing is opened, and counterbalancing means attached to the back end of the housing above the curve thereof on the side of the segment remote from the front end of the housing, said counterbalance retaining the housing in the open position and permitting it to be easily moved to the closed position.

3. A shelter for vehicles and other ptuposes as claimed in claim 2 including a stop mounted on and projecting from the back end of the housing positioned to engage the base when the housing reaches the open position.

4, A shelter for vehicles and other purposes as claimed l i i i l in claim 2 in which the rack slopes downwardly in a direction away from the housing.

5. A shelter for vehicles and other purposes comprising a. base, an open-bottomed housing resting on the base, said housing having a back end curving downwardly and inwardly at the bottom thereof, a gear segment mounted on and extending around the curving portion of the back end at each side thereof, a rack xedly mounted on the base beneath and meshing with each gear segment, said housing being opened and closed by raising and lowering the front end thereof, the forward end of each segment being positioned adjacent the corresponding end of its rack when the housing is closed and moving towards the opposite end of the rack as the housing is opened, and counterbalancing means attached to the back end of the housing above the curve thereof on the side of the segment remote from the front end of the housing, said counterbalance retaining the housing in lthe open position and permitting it to be easily moved to the closed position.

6. A shelter for vehicles and other purposes as claimed in claim 5 including a plate secured to the housing beside each gear segment and overlapping the side of the adjacent rack, each plate being on the same side of its gear segment as the other, andthe outer edge of each plate being curved to correspond with the curve of its segment.

7. A shelter for vehicles and otherV purposes as claimed in claim 5 including along handle extending longitudinally of a side of the housing and sloping upwardly towards the front end of the latter.

8. A shelter for vehicles and other purposesas claimed in claim 5 including a locking arm-pivotally mounted lon a side of the housing near the back end thereof, said base having la notch therein near the arm into which the free end of the latter tits when the housing is moved to the open position.

9. In a shelter for vehicles and other purposes, an openbottomed housing having front and back ends, a gear segment mounted on a side of the housing near the bottom of the back end thereof, said segment curving downwardly and forwardly of the housing, a rack iixedly supported beneath and meshing with the gear segment, said housing being opened and closed by raising and lowering the front end thereof, the forward end of the segment being positioned adjacent the corresponding end of the rack when the housing is closed and moving .towards the opposite end of said'rack as the housing is opened, and counterbalancing means attached to the back end of housing labove the segment, said counterbalance retain- 6 ing the housing in the open position and permitting it to be easily moved to the closed position.

10. A shelter for vehicles and other purposes comprising a base, an open-bottomed housing resting on the base and having front and back ends, a gear segment mounted on each side of the housing near the bottom of the back end thereof, said segments curving downwardly and forwardly of the housing, `a rack xedly mounted on the base beneath and meshing with each gear segment, said housing being opened and closed by raising and lowering the front end thereof, the forward end of each segment being positioned adjacent the corresponding end of its rack when the housing is closed and moving towardsrthe opposite end of the rack as the housing is opened, and counterbalancing means attached to the back end of the housing above the segments, said counterbalance retaining the housing in the open position and permitting it to be easily moved to the closed position.

1l. A shelter for vehicles and other purposes comprising a base, an open-bottomed housing resting on the base and having front and back ends, a gear segment mounted on each side of the housing near the bottom of the back end thereof, said segments curving downwardly and forwardly of the housing, a rack tixedly mounted on the base beneath and meshing With each gear segment, said housing being opened and closed by raising and lowering the front end thereof, the forward end of each segment being positioned adjacent the corresponding end of its rack when the housing is closed and moving towards the opposite end of the rack when the housing is opened, counterbalancing means attached to the back end of the housing above the segments, said counterbalance retaining the housing in the open position and permitting it to be easily `moved to the closed position, and wheels removably connected to the .base to enable the latter `to be transported from place to place.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,102,792 Scherzer Sept. 8, 1914 2,296,413 Zell Sept. 22, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 251,400 Great Britain of 1926 820,965 Germany Nov. l5, 1951 988,383 France of 1951 Y 830,697 Germany Feb. 7, 1952 667,735 Great Britain Mar. 5, 1952 

